Honda NC700X New Bike | Late Braking

Honda has added one additional model to its 2012 lineup, the adventure-touring-styled NC700X. The versatile NC (New Concept) was designed to attract as wide an audience as possible and has some interesting features: The all-new long-stroke engine is said to deliver a flat torque curve and between 70 and 75 mpg in fuel economy; a storage compartment in the traditional fuel tank area is large enough to store a helmet; and the base model will retail for a very modest $6999. The Honda’s frame is a steel diamond structure, while running gear includes a 41mm conventional front fork, with front and rear suspension providing six inches of travel and a 32.7-inch seat height. A single 320mm disc and two-piston caliper up front is matched to a 240mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. The fuel tank is located under the seat to make room for the large storage compartment in front. A DCT version features a second-generation of Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission as well as Combined ABS, with MSRP set at $8999.

The NC’s engine is an eight-valve SOHC parallel twin, with the cylinders set quite flat at 62 degrees from vertical and long-stroke cylinder dimensions of 73 x 80mm. To add character and a “comforting throb,” a 270-degree crankshaft and balancer shaft are utilized, while the intake port design (the NC uses a single 36mm throttle body) and intake valve timing are different for each cylinder to give strategic variations in combustion. Other features include a common exhaust outlet with the catalyzer placed right at the cylinder head exit for optimum emissions performance. Much of the technology is culled from Honda’s automotive division, and the NC has the same bore and stroke as the company’s Japan-model Fit, which has a 1.3-liter, 16-valve SOHC four-cylinder engine. No doubt this shared development — and maybe even actual parts — contributes to the NC’s low MSRP. The NC700X will be in dealers this summer.